{"id":347366,"date":"2026-07-09T10:39:19","date_gmt":"2026-07-09T14:39:19","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blog.sothebysrealty.com\/?p=347366"},"modified":"2026-07-09T10:39:19","modified_gmt":"2026-07-09T14:39:19","slug":"collecting-focus-space-exploration","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.sothebysrealty.com\/extraordinary-living-blog\/collecting-focus-space-exploration\/","title":{"rendered":"Collecting Focus: Space Exploration"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Sotheby\u2019s Geek Week is a dream for collectors with stars in their eyes, writes Aimee Dawson, as interest in out-of-this-world artifacts booms<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
\"a<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

The First American Spacewalk. Color photograph signed and inscribed by Jim McDivitt. Photograph: Courtesy of Sotheby\u2019s<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Space has rarely felt closer. Millions watched in awe in April 2026 as NASA completed its nine-day Artemis II mission to circle the moon, the only crewed flight beyond low Earth orbit since Apollo 17 in 1972. Meanwhile, SpaceX\u2014Elon Musk\u2019s aerospace manufacture and transportation company, founded with the ultimate goal of enabling people to live on other planets\u2014went public this June to much fanfare, allowing anyone to buy into the 21st-century space race. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

But stocks and shares are not the only way to own a piece of space history\u2014this summer sees the return on July 15 of Sotheby\u2019s flagship Space Exploration<\/a> auction.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This year\u2019s sale includes 134 lots, from space-related photographs, documents and books to astronaut-owned watches and fragments of spacecraft. It\u2019s part of both the annual Geek Week<\/a> at Sotheby\u2019s New York\u2014which also features auctions for Natural History<\/a> and the History of Science and Technology<\/a>\u2014and The Summer Season New York<\/a> for which Sotheby\u2019s International Realty is the presenting partner.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Lunar<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Lunar chart signed and inscribed by a moonwalker from every Apollo moon landing. Photograph: Courtesy of Sotheby\u2019s<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Adam Stackhouse, vice president and senior specialist in science and space exploration at Sotheby\u2019s, reports that interest has grown steadily in the category, especially since the 50th anniversary of the Apollo 11 moon landing in 2019. Items that have flown on Apollo missions\u2014especially that historic 1969 voyage\u2014garner the most collector interest, says Stackhouse, but early Soviet space program artifacts and lots from NASA\u2019s earlier Mercury and Gemini missions are also sought after. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

A Vostok 3KA-2 spacecraft<\/a>\u2014which was used in a 1961 Soviet test flight, directly before Yuri Gagarin became the first human to fly into space\u2014sold at Sotheby\u2019s in 2011 for US$2,882,500. In 2022, a jacket worn by Buzz Aldrin<\/a> during his mission to the moon and back sold for US$2,772,500.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Buzz<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Buzz Aldrin’s inflight coverall jacket, worn on his mission to the Moon and back during Apollo 11. Courtesy of Sotheby\u2019s<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The 2026 Space sale includes another Aldrin treasure with an amazing story: a plastic felt-tipped pen and broken circuit breaker switch<\/a>. The pen was used by Aldrin to fix the broken switch while trying to ascend from the lunar surface. Without his ingenuity, the astronauts would have been stranded and the entire space program would have failed. The lot is estimated to sell for US$800,000 to $1.2m.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Other items include a coverall jacket and trousers worn by Apollo 14 command module pilot Stuart Roosa during most of the flight: the only complete Apollo mission-flown set to have appeared at auction, estimated at US$200,000 to $300,000. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Pen<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

The broken circuit breaker switch that nearly ended Apollo 11 and the pen that saved the crew and the mission. Courtesy of Sotheby\u2019s<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Every lot is \u201cevocative,\u201d  says Stackhouse. \u201cSo much can be conveyed in a single object. Collectors are drawn to these items because they can bring the mission to life.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Space Exploration<\/a> category is incredibly varied, both in terms of price point and object type\u2014from small items like Aldrin\u2019s pen to large, almost sculptural pieces of spacecraft like the Vostok 3KA-2. Some lots are more like artworks, such as a framed mosaic of photographs<\/a> captured by the Lunar Orbiter V robotic spacecraft that NASA sent to orbit the moon in 1967, which sold in 2025.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"mosaic<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Mosaic, Aristarchus, August 1967. Photograph: Courtesy of Sotheby\u2019s<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

As such, these sales attract a wide demographic. \u201cThis is an area where many of the collectors are relatively young and they seem to realize that space isn\u2019t only about the celebration of the past achievements but also about the heralding of future goals,\u201d Stackhouse says.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

July\u2019s sale is also the first in the Space category to be held at Sotheby\u2019s new global headquarters, the iconic Breuer building in Manhattan, which originally opened in 1966, three years before the moon landing. With its clean lines, this concrete brutalist space lends itself perfectly to visualizing the auction lots in the modern home. <\/strong>Emerging from the corner of Madison Avenue and 75th Street, it\u2019s almost like a spacecraft itself.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Sotheby\u2019s International Realty is the Presenting Partner for The Summer Season New York<\/a> at Sotheby\u2019s.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Our Collecting Focus series features expert advice on contemporary art,<\/a> photography<\/a>, historic books<\/a>, natural history<\/a>, fashion history<\/a>, luxury handbags<\/a>, high jewelry<\/a>, watches<\/a>, wine<\/a>, rare whisky<\/a>, Chinese art and antiques<\/a> and Americana<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Sotheby\u2019s Geek Week is a dream for collectors with stars in their eyes, writes Aimee Dawson, as interest in out-of-this-world artifacts booms The First American Spacewalk. Color photograph signed and inscribed by Jim McDivitt. Photograph: Courtesy of Sotheby\u2019s Space has rarely felt closer. Millions watched in awe in April 2026 as NASA completed its nine-day […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":232770377,"featured_media":347384,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"advanced_seo_description":"","jetpack_seo_html_title":"","jetpack_seo_noindex":false,"jetpack_seo_schema_type":"","_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_wpcom_ai_launchpad_first_post":false,"_jetpack_feature_clip_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[1393,1398],"tags":[1472],"class_list":["post-347366","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-art-and-culture","category-featured","tag-new-york"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/www.sothebysrealty.com\/extraordinary-living-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/Sothebys-Space_Apollo-7-liftoff.jpg","jetpack_likes_enabled":false,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/pf4gbL-1smG","jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":412,"url":"https:\/\/www.sothebysrealty.com\/extraordinary-living-blog\/collecting-focus-classic-cars\/","url_meta":{"origin":347366,"position":0},"title":"Collecting Focus: Classic Cars","author":"Procurement Admin","date":"February 17, 2025","format":false,"excerpt":"At ModaMiami, RM Sotheby\u2019s will showcase an eclectic mix of motoring masterpieces and the shared experience that fuels car collectors worldwide, writes Thor Svaboe ModaMiami returns to the Biltmore Hotel, Coral Gables, Miami. Photograph: RM Sotheby\u2019s While motoring is on the road to a more sustainable future, nothing can detract\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Art and Culture"","block_context":{"text":"Art and Culture","link":"https:\/\/www.sothebysrealty.com\/extraordinary-living-blog\/category\/art-and-culture\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.sothebysrealty.com\/extraordinary-living-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/header-4.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.sothebysrealty.com\/extraordinary-living-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/header-4.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.sothebysrealty.com\/extraordinary-living-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/header-4.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.sothebysrealty.com\/extraordinary-living-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/header-4.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.sothebysrealty.com\/extraordinary-living-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/header-4.jpg?resize=1050%2C600&ssl=1 3x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.sothebysrealty.com\/extraordinary-living-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/header-4.jpg?resize=1400%2C800&ssl=1 4x"},"classes":[]},{"id":387,"url":"https:\/\/www.sothebysrealty.com\/extraordinary-living-blog\/significant-sales-2024-highlights\/","url_meta":{"origin":347366,"position":1},"title":"Significant Sales: 2024 Highlights","author":"Procurement Admin","date":"January 6, 2025","format":false,"excerpt":"From a US$74.25M sale in Palm Beach Florida, to a \u00a315.5M sale in London, England, here are ten of the top sales represented by the Sotheby\u2019s International Realty global network in 2024. Palm Beach, Florida Todd Peter, Frances Peter | Sotheby's International Realty \u2013 Palm Beach Brokerage, US$74.25M View Properties\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Market Insights"","block_context":{"text":"Market Insights","link":"https:\/\/www.sothebysrealty.com\/extraordinary-living-blog\/category\/market-insights\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.sothebysrealty.com\/extraordinary-living-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/Bahamas1.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.sothebysrealty.com\/extraordinary-living-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/Bahamas1.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.sothebysrealty.com\/extraordinary-living-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/Bahamas1.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.sothebysrealty.com\/extraordinary-living-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/Bahamas1.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.sothebysrealty.com\/extraordinary-living-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/Bahamas1.jpg?resize=1050%2C600&ssl=1 3x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.sothebysrealty.com\/extraordinary-living-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/Bahamas1.jpg?resize=1400%2C800&ssl=1 4x"},"classes":[]},{"id":411,"url":"https:\/\/www.sothebysrealty.com\/extraordinary-living-blog\/sothebys-international-realty-expands-in-tennessee\/","url_meta":{"origin":347366,"position":2},"title":"Sotheby’s International Realty Expands in Tennessee","author":"Procurement Admin","date":"February 15, 2025","format":false,"excerpt":"Sotheby's International Realty has announced that Realty Center of\u00a0Chattanooga\u00a0in\u00a0Tennessee\u00a0has joined the network and its two offices will now operate as Horizon Sotheby's International Realty. This addition signifies the brand's continued growth in\u00a0Tennessee\u00a0with six offices in the state. Horizon Sotheby's International Realty, headquartered in\u00a0Chattanooga, will serve communities spanning from\u00a0Athens, Tennessee, to\u00a0Dalton,\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Brand News"","block_context":{"text":"Brand News","link":"https:\/\/www.sothebysrealty.com\/extraordinary-living-blog\/category\/brand-news\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.sothebysrealty.com\/extraordinary-living-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/Chatanooga.jpeg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.sothebysrealty.com\/extraordinary-living-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/Chatanooga.jpeg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.sothebysrealty.com\/extraordinary-living-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/Chatanooga.jpeg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.sothebysrealty.com\/extraordinary-living-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/Chatanooga.jpeg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.sothebysrealty.com\/extraordinary-living-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/Chatanooga.jpeg?resize=1050%2C600&ssl=1 3x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.sothebysrealty.com\/extraordinary-living-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/Chatanooga.jpeg?resize=1400%2C800&ssl=1 4x"},"classes":[]},{"id":430,"url":"https:\/\/www.sothebysrealty.com\/extraordinary-living-blog\/sothebys-international-realty-expands-into-the-philippines\/","url_meta":{"origin":347366,"position":3},"title":"Sotheby’s International Realty Expands into the Philippines","author":"Procurement Admin","date":"March 18, 2025","format":false,"excerpt":"Sotheby's International Realty today announced the opening of Philippines Sotheby's International Realty, marking its 18th\u00a0office in\u00a0Asia. The company is headquartered in the financial and commercial hub of\u00a0Makati. Leading Philippines\u00a0Sotheby's International Realty is\u00a0Catherine Ocariz-Florencio, a seasoned real estate professional with over 15 years of industry experience. As the 2019 president of\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Brand News"","block_context":{"text":"Brand News","link":"https:\/\/www.sothebysrealty.com\/extraordinary-living-blog\/category\/brand-news\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.sothebysrealty.com\/extraordinary-living-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/eibner-saliba-3T9dDY0WqDI-unsplash.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.sothebysrealty.com\/extraordinary-living-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/eibner-saliba-3T9dDY0WqDI-unsplash.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.sothebysrealty.com\/extraordinary-living-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/eibner-saliba-3T9dDY0WqDI-unsplash.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.sothebysrealty.com\/extraordinary-living-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/eibner-saliba-3T9dDY0WqDI-unsplash.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.sothebysrealty.com\/extraordinary-living-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/eibner-saliba-3T9dDY0WqDI-unsplash.jpg?resize=1050%2C600&ssl=1 3x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.sothebysrealty.com\/extraordinary-living-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/eibner-saliba-3T9dDY0WqDI-unsplash.jpg?resize=1400%2C800&ssl=1 4x"},"classes":[]},{"id":428,"url":"https:\/\/www.sothebysrealty.com\/extraordinary-living-blog\/collecting-focus-sports-memorabilia\/","url_meta":{"origin":347366,"position":4},"title":"Collecting Focus: Sports Memorabilia","author":"Procurement Admin","date":"March 17, 2025","format":false,"excerpt":"From a court-worn NBA jersey to signed soccer boots, the market for big-event mementoes is reaching new heights, says Jake Uitti Michael Jordan 1998 NBA Playoffs \u2018The Last Dance\u2019 Game Worn Jersey (detail) | Eastern Conference Semifinals Game 2. \u00a9 Photo courtesy of Sotheby's Sporting artifacts are a booming market.\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Art and Culture"","block_context":{"text":"Art and Culture","link":"https:\/\/www.sothebysrealty.com\/extraordinary-living-blog\/category\/art-and-culture\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.sothebysrealty.com\/extraordinary-living-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/header-4.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.sothebysrealty.com\/extraordinary-living-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/header-4.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.sothebysrealty.com\/extraordinary-living-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/header-4.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.sothebysrealty.com\/extraordinary-living-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/header-4.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.sothebysrealty.com\/extraordinary-living-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/header-4.jpg?resize=1050%2C600&ssl=1 3x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.sothebysrealty.com\/extraordinary-living-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/header-4.jpg?resize=1400%2C800&ssl=1 4x"},"classes":[]},{"id":415,"url":"https:\/\/www.sothebysrealty.com\/extraordinary-living-blog\/significant-sales-january-2025-highlights\/","url_meta":{"origin":347366,"position":5},"title":"Significant Sales: January 2025 Highlights","author":"Procurement Admin","date":"February 23, 2025","format":false,"excerpt":"From a \u20ac$21M sale in Saint-Tropez, France, to a US$17.225M sale in Cambria, California, here are five sales represented by the Sotheby\u2019s International Realty global network in January. 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